KABUL, Afghanistan — The Taliban publicly flogged five people, including a woman, in two provinces on Sunday, continuing their use of corporal punishment under their strict interpretation of Islamic law.
The floggings took place in the Darqad District of Takhar Province in northeastern Afghanistan and in the Pashtun Kot and Dawlatabad districts of Faryab Province, according to statements from the Taliban-run Supreme Court.
The individuals were accused of offenses including “extramarital relations, running away from home, theft, and sodomy,” and each received 39 lashes in front of crowds.
The statement said the sentences were handed down by local courts in the respective districts.
These latest floggings bring the total number of public punishments to 90 in the past month, including 13 women, according to data collected by Amu, a local media outlet. The punishments have been carried out across various provinces for a range of alleged crimes.
Jowzjan and Khost provinces have seen the highest numbers of public floggings, with 22 and 17 cases respectively.
Since regaining power in 2021, the Taliban have increasingly reinstated policies reminiscent of their 1990s regime, including public corporal punishments such as floggings, stonings, and executions. According to Amu, over the past three years, the Taliban have issued 176 death sentences and stoning verdicts, with six additional individuals currently awaiting execution in Taliban prisons.
International organizations, including the United Nations Human Rights Council, have condemned the Taliban’s use of corporal punishment and called for its immediate cessation, citing violations of basic human rights.
